Summer Field Guide '16: Issue 1

Explore the World of Penguins

Though penguins are often associated with an icy environment, many species of penguins reside in warmer climates in the Southern Hemisphere. The cooler the environment however, the larger the penguin!

In October, we'll be welcoming Mr. Popper’s Penguins to The New Victory Theater where the very normal Mr. and Mrs. Popper suddenly find themselves with a house full of penguins... and chaos! In order to get ready for the show, you can read our selection of penguin-themed books or explore the different zoos of New York City with your family!

Read About Them!

Penguins have been book-stars for quite some time. Get to know Mr. Popper's co-stars a little better and make a visit to your local library to check out some of the following.

Sadly, the zoos will not take kindly to you catching their penguins. Instead, print out this list and check off each bird you see this summer in the square next to their name! You can keep track of where each species lives by looking at the map above.

Little Penguins or Fairy Penguins

The most pint-sized penguins that exist, these little guys grow to be only one foot tall! Like many species of penguins, they live in warm climates. You can typically find them swimming in the waters of Australia and New Zealand, living up to their scientific name Eudyptula meaning "good little diver." The main difference between little penguins and other species is that they're nocturnal, meaning they only are awake at night!

Where will you find them this summer? The Bronx ZooFun Fact: The Bronx Zoo successfully hatched a little penguin chick for the first time in 120 years on May 10, 2016!

Magellanic Penguins

Contrary to what you'd expect, these birds also live nowhere near ice! They live along the coast of South America under bushes, unless they're able to burrow for their nests. Their unique name comes from Ferdinand Magellan, who first spotted these critters in 1520.

​African or Black Footed Penguins
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Known for their donkey-like bray, the African penguin lives off of the southern coast of Africa. In fact, it's the only penguin to breed in Africa! You can tell how closely it's related to the Magellanic Penguin due to its similar appearance and behavior. For instance, they both mate for life. Sadly, due to human behavior like oil spills and habitat disruption, the African penguin is listed as an endangered species. If nothing changes, experts believe they will be extinct in 15 years.

Gentoo Penguins
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These penguins are famous for a lot of reasons. They have the largest tail, they're the third largest of all penguin species and they're the fastest diving bird in existence! Even more impressive, these are the penguins that Mr. Popper receives in the mail! You might be wondering about their odd name. Unfortunately, no one is sure where it comes from, but theories range from Anglo-Indian to Portuguese origins. Though the gentoo penguins are native to the cold Antarctic waters, they prefer to live in areas without any snow or ice.

Most closely related to the gentoo penguin, these chinstrap penguins rock some serious facial feathers. They're one of the two penguin species with white faces, but theirs are separated from the body by a thin black strap. They make their homes on steep, rocky terrain in cold climates. They aren't found as far north as their relatives, and their breeding colonies can be found near the Antarctic Peninsula.

Second in size only to emperor penguins (which, sadly, cannot be found in any NYC zoo), king penguins are seriously large birds. They grow up to three feet tall and weigh up to thirty-five pounds! King penguins have a long and healthy relationship with zoos and are even the Edinburgh Zoo's mascot. In the wild, you can find them in the sub-Antarctic belt in groups that can number in the tens of thousands.

These funny looking fellas are relatively common birds found throughout the northern Pacific Ocean, close to Alaska. They gather on islands or cliffs where predators can't easily access their nests, the steeper the better! Many people are quick to group puffins and penguins together, but in fact they are from completely different families. There's not even any geographical overlap between the two!

While you’re visiting all your penguin pals, make sure to take some snapshots! Post them on social and tag us on Instagram @NewVictoryTheater or Twitter @NewVictory. Use the hashtag #MrPoppersNewVic so we can see your photos!

The New 42nd StreetPhone 646.223.3000The cultural nonprofit responsible for the dynamic evolution of 42nd Street with a mission to make extraordinary performing arts a part of New Yorkers' lives through these three projects: